Nightbird to the Rescue
by moviegeek03
Summary: At six, Blaine couldn't truly grasp how it felt to be stood up for a date by the hottest girl in your class. He just knew he didn't like seeing Cooper upset and wanted his big brother to feel better (and maybe play superheroes with him again).


A/N: Written for the Blaine Love Fest; it started out as an idea/headcanon that Blaine always has to make others smile and feel better since he appears to do that so much on the show and somehow turned into a fluffy Anderbros story.

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Blaine had always been the kind of kid who wanted to make everyone around him happy. If a kid fell off the swings at the park, he would be the first one to kiss the boo boos to make it all better. If his mom started crying while cutting up onions in the kitchen, he would hug her legs until she finished. If his dad had a bad day at work and came home with a migraine, Blaine would crawl in his lap and sit with him until he felt well enough to read with Blaine.

By the time he was six, he knew how to make people feel better in his own way. Whether it was his own infectious grin or an impromptu performance, he would find a way to get others to join in his laughter and smile along with him. He didn't always understand what was going on or why the person was upset, but he somehow could find a way to make it a little better.

This was why he knew he had to do something the moment Cooper came home early from what supposed to have been his perfect date night.

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Blaine scurried into Cooper's room, his little arms pulling bed sheets along behind him and nearly tripping on them in his hurry. He ran into Cooper and fell to the floor in a heap of short limbs and fluttering sheets. "Oomph!"

"Blainey," Cooper sighed. He set down the bottle of cologne back on top of his dresser and knelt down to untangle his little brother. He tugged on the sheets until a curly mop of a head popped out. Blaine smiled brightly at him as if he hadn't just fallen moments ago. "What have a told you about coming into my room without knocking?"

Blaine's smile faltered at that. "Not to," he mumbled. He looked at Cooper with wide eyes. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

"You're not in trouble." Cooper picked Blaine and the sheets off the floor and set him on top of the bed. "But you if you keep forgetting you will be. Ok?"

Blaine nodded. "I just wanted to play." He held up the sheets as high as he could to show them to Cooper. "Mommy said I could make a cape!"

"She did, huh?" Cooper took the sheet from his brother and acted as if he was inspecting them closely. "Hmm, these do look like good cape material. Optimal for flying. Maybe even a dash of invincibility in the threads too."

"Really?" Blaine gasped, bouncing on the bed in his excitement.

"Really! These will make for the perfect cape. Come here." Blaine scooted towards his brother. Cooper adjusted the sheet so that it wouldn't be too long on his brother and placed it on his shoulders. He reached into his nightstand and rooted around until he found a safety pin buried under some college brochures. He used it to secure the makeshift cape. "There you go, bud."

"Thank you!" Blaine jumped up and down on the bed, pretending he was flying with each jump.

"Careful!" Cooper scooped him up and set him down onto the floor. "Don't let any of those bad guys hurt you."

"What bad guys?" Blaine asked. "I was just flyin'. No baddies yet."

"How do you know?" Cooper returned to his dresser and finished putting on some cologne. "They could've booby trapped the bed springs!"

"I didn't think of that!"

Cooper bit his lip, obviously trying not to laugh. "Better stay away from it until I get back later and can check it."

Blaine's face fell once more. "You're leaving? No! Stay! Play superheroes with me. Please?"

"Sorry squirt." Cooper ruffled Blaine's already unruly curls. "I have a date with Tessa Geller, who just so happens to be the prettiest junior in our class."

"But superheroes are fun!"

"So is going out with hot chicks." Blaine scrunched his brow at that. "Look, sorry B. Maybe Ali will play them with you when she gets here. Mom called her to babysit you until I get home later."

"She doesn't like them," Blaine huffed, looking down at his sneakers dejectedly.

Cooper pulled on his leather jacket before kneeling down next to Blaine. "Well, maybe you can find something else to do. I mean, superheroes have to have secret identities, right? Maybe you can keep your superhero identity a secret while she's here and go along with whatever she asks you do to. Then, once I'm home and she's gone, your superhero identity—"

"Nightbird!" Blaine exclaimed, holding out his cape so that it looked as if he had wings.

Cooper chuckled. "Fine. Nightbird can come out to fight the baddies with me once I get home. Ok?"

"Ok." Blaine still didn't look thrilled at the idea of Cooper leaving, but he wasn't pouting either. Cooper took it as a win. Before he could respond, the doorbell rang from downstairs. "Sounds like Ali's here, squirt. Let's go let her in."

Blaine still looked sad that Cooper was leaving, so Cooper scooped him off the bed and held him up above his head, making swooshing sounds to give the allusion that his brother really was flying. Blaine soon started giggling didn't mind going downstairs to greet Ali quite so much. Cooper set him down once they reached the foyer; he pouted a little again, knowing Cooper would be leaving soon. He tried to smile as they let Ali in and greeted her, but he wasn't as happy as he had been moments ago.

"Whatcha doing with the sheet B?" she asked once she was inside and had taken off her coat. "Is it your cape or something?"

"Umm..." He looked to Cooper for help, remembering what he had said about secret identities.

"Nah," Cooper interjected. "He was cold so I fixed the blanket around him. That's all." He winked at Blaine when Ali wasn't looking.

"I can always make us some hot chocolate if you are cold, Blaine," Ali continued, kneeling down so she was on his level.

"Really?" Blaine perked up considerable at the mention of the chocolaty drink.

"Sure. And maybe some cookies to go with it. That is, if you want to help me bake."

Blaine smiled and started towards the kitchen. He stopped half way there, turned back, and launched himself at Cooper. "Have fun, Coop!"

"You too, Blainey." Cooper picked him up for a proper hug and then handed him off to Ali. "I don't know for sure what time I'll be home," he said to her.

"Don't worry about it. Your parents already paid me for the whole night since they were planning on being out 'til late."

Cooper smiled. "Great! Then I better go. I can't keep Tessa waiting for too long." He ruffled Blaine's hair. "See ya later squirt."

"Bye Coop," Blaine sighed, leaning his head against Ali's shoulder and watching as Cooper left.

"Hey kiddo," Ali squeezed him tightly and rubbed his shoulder, "what do you say we get started on those cookies?"

"Please?" he replied, nodding vigorously.

"Alright. Let's get to it!" She set him down onto the floor and followed him into the kitchen. Blaine immediately pulled a chair over to the counter and started to climb on top of it. "Woah! Hold up, Blaine." Ali plucked him off the chair before he could get far. "How about you let me get everything down?"

"Want to help." He gave her his big puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," she sighed. "But let me help you up. You know you shouldn't climb on chairs like that." She helped him onto the counter, making sure to keep an eye on him as she gathered up the supplies. "Stay still for me, B. Don't want you falling."

"Ok." He fidgeted excitedly but managed to stay more or less in place while she pulled the ingredients out of the fridge. Once they were all on the counter next to Blaine, he dug in with gusto, pouring and mixing everything per Ali's instructions. He may have gotten a little over zealous with the flour and eggs, but he had fun with it all.

It wasn't long before the cookies were cooling on the counter and Blaine was sprawled out on the living room floor with his action figures. Ali kept watch from her place on the couch, altering between Blaine and her homework. Both of them jumped when the front door opened quickly, slamming against the wall before shutting just as loudly. Cooper entered, glanced at both of them momentarily, and then stormed up the stairs.

"Coop?" Blaine said softly, staring up towards the stairs.

"It's ok, kiddo," Ali soothed. "I'll check on him." She squeezed Blaine's shoulder then left to go up to check on Cooper. Blaine waited anxiously in the living room, his eyes still glued to the stairs. He perked up when he heard steps coming towards him, but deflated as soon as he saw Ali again.

"Sorry, Blaine," she replied, noticing his disappointment. "He just got stood up."

"What's that?"

She bit her lip and rubbed at his arms. "Remember the big date he was so excited for? Well, the girl didn't show up like she was supposed to. So your brother's feeling upset right now. But he'll be ok. Just leave him be."

"Oh…"

"It's ok, Blaine. It happens sometimes. You're brother will be fine." She gave him a quick hug and walked towards the couch to gather up her belongings. "Just give him some space and he'll be fine."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah." She slid her coat onto her thin shoulders. "Cooper asked me to. You can keep playing down here for a little while longer. He'll come get your for bedtime soon."

"Ok," Blaine replied somberly.

"It'll be ok, B." She gave him a peck on the cheek before letting herself out, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Blaine sat there for a few moments, trying to think of what to do. He wanted to make Cooper feel better. But he wasn't sure what to do. He tried to think of what would make him feel better if he was upset.

_Cookies_!

Cookies always made him feel better! And there was a giant cooking sheet of them sitting on the countertop.

With that thought in mind, Blaine hurried into the kitchen, skidding to a halt in front of the counter. He looked up at it and tugged on his cape. It was a long ways up, but it was nothing Nightbird couldn't handle.

He scooted a chair over and started to jump and climb his way up. He made it to the counter, sliding onto it and sitting next the cookies. Just as he was about to start gathering up the chocolate treats, his cape got snagged on a rough spot on the wooden chair. When he pulled on it to free himself, the cape ripped a little and the chair clattered loudly to the floor in the process.

Before he could figure out what do to and how to get back down, Cooper appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide with worry and his hair sticking out in various directions.

"Cooper!"

"Blaine, what are you doing?" Cooper rushed towards his brother, his hands fluttering over the small boy to check for injuries. "Are you ok? Did you hurt yourself? What are you doing on the counter?"

"Not hurt, but my cape has a hole in it. I couldn't fly back down with a hole in it."

Cooper sighed in relief and leaned against the counter. "Ok. Good." He ran a hand through his hair. "But why did you fly up here anyway? You know you're not supposed to."

Blaine bit his little lip. "Wanted to make you feel better. Wanted to get cookies to take to you. They always make me happy. And you're sad. I didn't want you to be sad."

Cooper smiled a little at his brother. "Aww Blaine." He ruffled the boy's curly hair. "You don't have to do that."

"Wanted to!"

Cooper chuckled at the look of pure determination on Blaine's face. "Ok. Thank you, squirt." He pulled Blaine off the counter and into his arms.

"Coop feel better?"

"I'm getting there."

"Nightbird saves the day?" Blaine asked innocently.

Cooper's smile grew at that. "Yeah." He held Blaine high above his head, once again letting the boy feel like he was flying. "He did!"

Blaine started giggling at that, holding his arms out like Superman smiling down at his brother.

"How about we take some of these cookies and go find some Batman cartoons to watch?"

"YAY!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Cooper shifted Blaine in his arms so that he could grab a plate and scoop some cookies onto it. He let Blaine pretend to fly into the living room as well. The two plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. They soon found some Batman cartoons on and dug into the cookies.

Blaine ended up lying across Cooper's lap with his cape tucked around him. Cooper fingered the holes that the chair had caused. "I bet we could fix these holes. You know, that way you can fly without my help."

"I like your help."

"You do, huh? I thought you'd want to have Nightbird fly around on his own."

"No!"

"Ok," Cooper relented. "Where did you come up with the name anyway?"

"From you."

"From me?" Cooper gasped.

"Uh huh. Batman is your favorite. You dressed up as him for Halloween right?"

"Um, yeah," Cooper replied, obviously unsure of where this was going.

"Well, Batman has Robin. And mommy says robins are a kind of bird. So I wanted to be a type of bird so I could be your sidekick.

Cooper shook his head fondly at the six year old's logic. "Thank you B." He leaned down and kissed his brother's head. "Maybe tomorrow you can help me fix up my own cape?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

The two stayed that way for a while, lying on the couch and watching the cartoons. Cooper got lost commenting on the various villains and plots with his brother. Before long, he had forgotten about Tessa in favor of scheming up what household items to use as their own gadgets and scheming up with ways of tricking their mom into making more cookies the next day. The night may not have started how Cooper had intended, but it wasn't bad either. He ended up having a lot of fun with his brother instead.

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Years later, when Cooper came home for Thanksgiving, he wasn't all that surprised to see his baby brother in a much more elaborate Nightbird costume lugging around bags filled with cans from a food drive. That was just Blaine, and he couldn't have been prouder of his brother.


End file.
